Master confusing words with ease
Afflict vs. Inflict
Afflict
/əˈflɪkt/Examples:
The disease continues to afflict the remote village.His harsh words seem to afflict her deeply.Untreated, the condition can afflict the nervous system.
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Antonyms:
Inflict
/ɪnˈflɪkt/Examples:
He didn't mean to inflict pain on his friend.The manager didn't want to inflict longer hours on the team.The new law might inflict financial hardship on families.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Afflict often refers to causing pain or suffering to a person or group.
- Inflict implies directly imposing something unwelcome or unpleasant, like punishment or wounds.
- To remember afflict, think of being affected by something harmful.
- With inflict, imagine imposing an injury or condition on someone.
- Afflict is more about the experience of suffering, while inflict is about the act of causing it.
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